Name/Title
Jones family of St. Pierre FarmEntry/Object ID
2025.09.19Scope and Content
Scans of photos and documents pertaining to the Jones family who operated the St. Pierre Farm Resort. The family had homes in Evanston, Illinois and Saugatuck, Michigan.Context
The point in the Kalamazoo River where the J. Beaumont Jones family lived was once known as St. Pierre Point because it was the territory of a trapper named St. Pierre. As a result, the Jones family farm, one of Saugatuck's first bed and breakfasts, was known as "St. Pierre Farm."
The St. Pierre Farm was on 33.86 acres owned Elizabeth Batley (Simpson) Jones, born 1846 in England, and Joseph Beaumont Jones, born 1850 on the Isle of Man.
Jones family information:
Elizabeth Batley (Simpson) Jones was the matriarch of St. Pierre Farm.
With her first husband Henry Dring she had four children:
1. Rose
2. Lillie (Dring) Bickle - born 1868 in England, died 1916 in Evanston, buried at Skokie, Illinois. Lillie wed Charles P. Radcliffe in 1887 and had the child Alice Mabel Radcliffe (bio below).
3. Horatio William Dring - born 1868 in England, died 1950 in Evanston, buried at Skokie.
4. Cordelia Treeludra Dring - born 1874, died 1909 in Chicago, buried at Skokie.
With her 2nd husband Joseph Beaumont Jones, she had six more children:
5. Marian "Betty" Jones* - born 1878 in England, died 1963, buried at Coldwater, Michigan
6. Tom - born in England
7. Elizabeth "Zizz" Jones* - 1882-1965, buried at Coldwater, Michigan
8. Emily (Jones) Strom
9. Mona (Jones) Horton - born 1886 in Evanston; died 1971 in Largo, Florida; buried at Coldwater, Michigan.
10. Gladys Marie (Jones) Knight - born in Evanston
The summer before the interstate (US-196) went through and demolished the St. Pierre Farm house, Chris Yoder visited with the residents, two "spinsters" Elizabeth “Aunt Ziz” Jones and Marion “Aunt Betty” Jones. *Ron J. Clark recalls the women were the sisters, not the daughters, of Elizabeth Batley (Simpson) Jones and that they bought the house from the Crissy’s. [Possibly Alvaro Dudley Crissy 1854-1919 or his kin.] A newspaper clipping, below, indicated that Elizabeth and Marion Jones moved to Coldwater, Michigan in September 1962.
As of 2025, the St. Pierre Farm property is underneath the I-196 Interstate Highway and River Bluff Park.Collection
Family History, Transportation: highway and road infrastructureCataloged By
Winthers, SallyAcquisition
Accession
2025.09Source or Donor
Yoder, ChrisAcquisition Method
Donation, unconditionalCredit Line
Items scanned by Chris Yoder or Jack Sheridan for the SDHC family history group.Notes
Items came to the catalog from Chris Yoder and Jack Sheridan. The original documents may be associated with Ann Horton of Saugatuck or Ron J. Clark of Fennville. Birth/death dates from Findagrave.com. Newspaper clippings from https://mysdhistory.org/history/projects/digitizing-the-commercial-record/Location
* Untyped Location
Digital data in CatalogItRelationships
Related Person or Organization
Person or Organization
St. Pierre Farm/Resort/St. Pierre Point, Jones, J. Beaumont 1850-1918, Jones, Elizabeth Batley (Simpson) 1846-1929, Radcliffe, Charles P. 1856-1927, Jones, Marion 1878-1963, Jones, Elizabeth 1882-1965, Radcliffe, Alice Mabel 1888-1981, River Bluff Park, Interstate Highway I-196 c1963-present, Clark, Ronald J.Create Date
June 18, 2025Update Date
June 19, 2025
![Jones farmhouse group.jpg 940KB: L. to R., [back row] Marion Jones (Aunt Betty), Cordelia Cara (Dring), Lillie (Dring)
[middle row] Aunt Zizz Elizabeth (Jones), Emily Jones (Strom), Cousin Alice Radcliffe
[front row] Aunt Gladys (Jones) Knight, unknown child, Grandma [Elizabeth B.] Jones, Grandpa [J. Beaumont] Jones, Aunt Mona (Horton)](https://d8e7jbdw4fu0e.cloudfront.net/4124/dbfeb4c0-4c76-11f0-bba0-957b1aaa5d52-vUU11kp.lg@2x.jpg)
